Battles Won, Battles Lost
by Grand Spark
Summary: A year later, Avalanche comes across Professor Gast's old journal. Neo Shinra is rising, and the Turks can't fight them alone.
1. Life Goes On

A/N: I'm working on revising the first three chapters before moving on. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long – let me know what you think!

Chapter 1: Life Goes On

It had been a year since the defeat of Sephiroth, and a lot had happened in that time. Avalanche's name was cleared, and the charges against them were dropped. They became heroes, and their adventure became legend. People wrote books about it, and others told it to their kids as a bedtime story. But time has a way of blurring the past, and after that year had come and gone, everything was pretty much back to normal.

…

Tifa hammered in the last nail with a sigh of relief. Stepping back, she took a good look at the new jungle gym. The group was in Nibelheim, restoring what had been damaged by the meteor, and improving what hadn't. Tifa, Barret, Cid and Cloud were busy constructing a playground, while Vincent, Yuffie and Red were turning the Shinra Mansion into a library.

"I wish I had had one of these when I was a kid," she said as she pushed the wooden strut, checking to make sure it was sturdy.

Cid was not altogether thrilled with this project, and made no attempt to hide his lack of enthusiasm. "First time a kid falls off of this thing, their parents will sue me, I know it."

"Wha's the matter? Only toy good 'nuff for yo' kid is planes?"

"If I had a kid, yes."

"I'm sure you do, somewhere out there…" chuckled Barret.

Cid cursed under his breath. "I'm going to take a shower," he said as he walked off.

Cloud shook his head. "Looks good, guys. I say we call it a day."

"I second that," agreed Tifa. "Let's go get some dinner!"

…

"Yuffie, those go in alphabetical order…" Vincent said as he looked at the stack of books Yuffie was working on.

"Order is boring. How 'bout we don't put them in any kind of order. That way when you find the book you want, it will make it extra special?" suggested Yuffie.

"…Yuffie. Please put them in alphabetical order. Red will help you."

Nanaki quietly walked over to help.

"What, you don't think I know how to alphabetize stuff?" asked Yuffie.

Vincent walked back to the box of books and said nothing.

"Jerk."

Taking out a knife, Vincent sliced open the next box of books to go through. The library was coming along slowly, but surely. They had gotten some excellent books and quite a nice selection so far. As he popped the box top open, Vincent reached in to grab the first book. Instead of pulling out a book, he pulled out a package in plain brown paper, tied up with twine. 

"Odd..." muttered Vincent as be undid the packaging. Sliding off the paper, he held a dusty, worn leather covered journal in his hands. He looked at the first page. "The Private Journal of Professor Gast".

Vincent blinked, and continued reading.

"The Jenova experiments reveal more and more each day. The potential uses for such a miracle of nature are almost endless. It is my sincere hope that through cloning we will be able to continue the race of the Cetra and that through this research medical treatment will be improved. My goal in this project is the cloning of Jenova and the improvement of the human condition."

Red looked over at Vincent. "Vincent, what are you reading?"

Vincent turned mouth slightly agape. "I..."

Red padded over and looked at the book. "Where did this come from?"

"It was in a package in one of the shipments of books."

"Do you think it's real?"

Vincent flipped through the pages and shook his head. "…" he paled as he read a passage out loud. "The studies in Nibleheim continue. Shinra has indeed come though on its promise of equipment. Primary experiments have come out as we had hoped, and my partner and assistant are remaining optimistic that future experiments will turn out as well."

Red looked up. "Wait a minute…Nibleheim? He must be referring to Hojo as his partner."

"Hey, Vincent, you were there, weren't you?" asked Yuffie.

Vincent glared at her. "Yes. I was."

Yuffie squirmed under his glare. "So…if you recognize this stuff, it's gotta be true, right?"

Vincent flipped through the book once more, but as he did so, a small picture fell out. He looked closely at it.

"This…is Hojo…but look at the date," Vincent murmered.

Red studied the picture. "This was taken 2 months ago. That can't be right. We killed him over a year ago."

"We need to take this back to the others. I have a bad feeling about this." Vincent said.

…

Red quickly explained to the group what had happened earlier. Vincent loomed quietly in the corner.

Cloud picked up the book. "I thought Shinra destroyed all of Gast's work after they killed him."

"Not everything," said Vincent from the corner. "This is what all of Hojo's work was based on. It was Gast that set the framework for any future cloning experiments. This is the journal he wrote all his theories in. I remember hearing about this when I was a Turk."

Barret looked at Vincent. "You mean this belonged to Shinra?"

"It did at one time, yes. It was the basis for almost all of the scientific research, especially after they discontinued the space program."

  
  
Cid glared and slid in his seat. "So what are we all worried about? It's a book. It belonged to Shinra. It doesn't now. Let's shelf it and forget it."

Vincent turned to Cid. "This entire book deals only with how to clone Jenova. Someone sent this to us. There must be a reason."

Barret looked confused. "But they had to have had that book for over 20 years. They didn't ever clone it. And Shinra's gone now."

Vincent sighed. "Look at this." He passed the picture around to the group. 

Tifa looked up at Vincent. "…Hojo? This doesn't make sense. We fought him in Midgar. And he lost…"

Cloud suddenly looked up at Vincent. "That wasn't really Hojo, was it? They already know how to clone."

Vincent nodded. "Not only clone, but clone with Jenova cells."

"That means Hojo, Scarlet and Heidegger could be alive then," said Tifa.

"They're alive, and they're planning something," said Vincent.

…

Reno leaned back in his chair and took a long drink from the bottle in his hand. "Think they got it yet?"

Rude shrugged. "Should have."

Elena shook her head. "I still don't see how this is going to work, Reno."

"Patience, Elena. Patience. All will be revealed." He took another long drink.

"You know as well as I do we don't have much time left. We should have just gone to them in person," Elena said shortly.

"Just…trust me, Elena. It's better this way."

…

Scarlet leaned back at her desk. Things were going as planned. Sure, the company she had worked for was gone, but it was better this way. No President Shinra, no President Rufus, and no lineage she would never have a chance to compete with. She was free. And she was still powerful.

She had the old Shinra scientists working under her, and she had a plan. It was based on two simple ideas: One, history has a way of repeating itself, and secondly, when you're going to do something bad, make it look like you didn't have anything to do with it.

After the meteor incident, the history of Jenova came out. Jenova was not an ancient, only disguised as one. She spread a virus, wiping out almost the entire race of Cetra. Now Neo Shinra had the power to create a Jenova clone, and a synthetic virus. All they had to do was arm the new Jenova creature with it, immunize the people to be kept alive and the world would be theirs. Project: Jenova Encore was right on schedule. 

…To be continued

A/N: Congratulations if you made it this far! I always find writing the first chapter to be so hard. But stay with me, I promise I know where this is going! I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know what you think so far!

Special thanks to falsehead's FAQ (www.gamefaqs.com ), which helped me with putting the timeline together (and it's just fun to read) 

-Grand Spark - 12 July 2003 (revised 10 January 2004)


	2. Turbulence

Chapter 2: Turbulence

Back in Nibleheim, it was late. Marlene was asleep on the couch, and the rest of the group sat quietly around the table, none of them quite sure what do to.

Barret shook his head as he walked over to Marlene. "I hate them Shinra. Even after their gone, they still cause trouble." He picked Marlene up and carried her upstairs to tuck her in.

Tifa looked at Vincent. He sat at the table, staring off at nothing in deep thought. It was painfully obvious to everyone that he was thinking back to his days as a Turk – and to his days with Lucrecia. She wondered if she should talk to him, but dismissed the idea after another quick glance. Maybe later. 

The others sat in uncomfortable silence. The only sounds came from Cloud as he flipped the pages of the journal every few minutes. Yuffie squirmed in her seat, Cid lazily puffed a cigarette, and Red sat on the floor with his eyes closed, but not yet asleep.

Vincent suddenly stood up. "Please excuse me," he said quietly. He turned away and walked upstairs. 

When he was gone, Tifa shook her head. "I'm worried about him."

"He'll be okay," muttered Cid.

Tifa frowned. "Just so long as he doesn't lock himself away for another thirty years."

Cloud looked up at her. "Maybe someone should keep an eye on him tonight. He needs to pull himself together, and soon." He gestured towards the journal in his hands. "We need to look into this. If Vincent is right, it is possible there will be another Jenova clone. I'm not sure what for yet, but I can't imagine it's for anything good."

Red lifted his head up and opened his eyes. "I will stay by his door tonight."

Cloud nodded. "Thanks, Red."

"Okay, Strife. So how exactly are we going to 'look into this'? We have no idea where the book came from, no idea where any ex-Shinra people are…we have no where to start."

"Let me sleep on that. There's got to be a way," said Cloud.

…

Vincent walked into his room and shut the door behind him. Stepping over to the mirror over his dresser he stared into his haunted eyes.

He remembered that mission so clearly. He remembered the flight to Neiblheim with Gast, Hojo, and Lucrecia, the scientists sent to work on the Jenova project. He remembered how much trouble he had not staring at her – he forced himself to clean out his guns instead, and even then, his eyes still occasionally wandered to the woman sitting at the front of the plane.

Vincent shook his head and flipped off his light. All this thinking wasn't doing him much good. He stretched out on his bed and went to sleep.

…

_He woke up and opened his eyes. It was morning, and the sun was streaming in through the window. He rolled over onto his side and smiled at the sleeping woman beside him. _

_"Are you awake?" he asked softly._

_"…No," she said groggily. "What time is it?"_

_Vincent leaned up on his arm and looked at the clock on the nightstand. "__8:36__."_

_"Hmm…breakfast time, huh?"_

_He laughed. "Yes, I suppose so."_

_She rubbed her eyes and looked at him with a small smile. "So what are you making?"_

_"What?"_

_"Just kidding.__ I'll go make it. If I'm going to eat something, I want it to be edible," she said as she winked at him._

_He watched as she slid out of bed and tied her robe. _

_He got out of bed and walked to her. "Wait."_

_"What's the matter?"_

_"…I'm not that hungry. Breakfast can wait." He stepped closer to her._

_"You…are always hungry, my dear," she smiled at him._

_He wrapped his arms around her and began to dance slowly. She stared up into his eyes._

_"Vincent, what has gotten into you today?"_

_He laid his head on her shoulder and smiled. "Just happy."_

_…_

****

Vincent sat up in bed. He looked around the room. It was still dark out. He glanced down at his bed. There was no one there. It was just a dream.

He scratched his head and sighed. This was going to be a long night.

…

Back in Midgar, the three Turks sat at a small table.

A young waitress came over. "You folks know what'chya want?"  
  


Reno looked up at her and grinned. Elena elbowed him sharply before he had a chance to say anything.

"I'll have a chef's salad," said Elena sweetly.

The waitress looked at the two men.

"…Steak and beer," said Rude.

"And you?"

"…" Reno glared at Elena. "I'll just have a burger. And a beer."

The waitress nodded and walked off.

"Elena, you piss me off like no one else," said Reno.

"Reno. I'm hungry, and I don't want to be kicked out of here before I get my food."

"You don't even know what I was going to say to her," he protested.

"I know exactly what you planned on saying."

"Oh really?"

Rude coughed. Reno looked at his friend and sighed. 

"Fine. Moving on."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly Elena sighed and leaned in closer. "Reno, we need to move, and soon."

Reno pulled an envelope from his breast pocket and laid it on the table. Elena picked it up and looked inside. There were three tickets to Nibleheim.

Elena looked up at Reno. "I don't care what it takes. I want my revenge. I am not dying until I get it."

Reno softened. "I know, Lena." Rude nodded in agreement.

"We'll be there tomorrow afternoon. I'll meet with Strife and we'll get this thing figured out," Reno said. 

…

Vincent awoke and sat up in bed. After waking up the last time, he managed to fall into a fitful, but dreamless sleep. 

The sun was still behind the mountains, and it was early in the morning. Vincent dressed quickly and opened the door to go downstairs. He found Red lying asleep at the entrance to his room.

He sighed as he stepped over the sleeping form. 'Lovely – they sent someone to keep an eye on me all night,' he though. He walked downstairs and sat on the couch. 

…

Yuffie woke early, as she always did. As she was going through her stretches, she heard the floor squeak as someone walked by.

She opened her door quietly and peeked out into the hall. She saw Vincent going downstairs.

She shut the door and quickly threw on her usual attire and ran her fingers through her short hair in an attempt to tame it. It didn't really work, but then again, she didn't really care.

She began to run to the stairs but stopped herself. If she was going to knock some sense into Vincent, she didn't need everyone else in the house up and listening in.

She walked to the couch and sat next to Vincent. 

"You're up early," she commented nonchalantly.

"...I was done sleeping."

Yuffie stared sideways at the man next to her. After a few minutes Vincent looked back at her. "What?" he said, somewhat annoyed.

"We're just worried, that's all."

"It's alright. We'll figure it all out."

"I meant worried about you."

"Please don't. The last thing I need is to cause more people grief."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. This was not easy. 

"Vincent, remember a few months ago when you lent me your camera?"

"…Yes. I don't believe you ever returned it…"

Yuffie bit her lip. "That's because I kinda dropped it…"

Vincent sighed.

"I was trying to take a picture of Barret sleeping, 'cause he was in this really funny position on the couch, you know? Anyways, I ran up to my room to get it, right? I tried to pick it up by the strap, only it slipped out of my hand and BAM! Next thing I know it's laying on the ground, in, like, a billion pieces."

Vincent sighed again.

"I cried," added Yuffie.

"It's alright, Yuffie."

She looked right at him. This was working just as she hoped it would. "I'm really sorry, Vincent."

He shook his head. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay, I wreaked your camera.  Go on, yell at me. I'll give you a free hit if you want." She stuck her face out and shut her eyes, looking as though she were bracing herself for an attack.

"Yuffie!" Vincent pushed her back gently. "It was just a camera. I forgive you."

She smiled. "See? It's not *too* tough, is it?"

Vincent went back to staring at nothing. "What's that?"

"I mean, if you can forgive me for all the crap I've put you through – and I know I've put you through a lot – you can forgive yourself, right?" Yuffie answered softly.

"Yuffie, please... " started Vincent.

"No, I don't care if you don't want to hear it, you need to." 

Vincent looked away. "I thank you for your concern, but you do not know the whole story."

The two sat quietly for a bit longer.

"Fine. Mope all you want. I'm going outside."

Vincent closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch. He appreciated knowing that his friends cared about him, and wanted to help in any way they could, but it was better that he kept some of his demons to himself.

To be continued…

A/N: Thank you so much to those who reviewed my last chapter. Means a lot to me. Also, for some reason, the link to the FAQ I have been using didn't show up at the end of my last story, but you can find it at GameFAQS.com. 

The story is starting to move along now. I love stories where everything is all tied together somehow, so that's what I'm attempting to do with this story. 

Chapter 3, "Withdrawals": The Turks finally meet up with Avalanche, and Cloud discovers why they want to help take down Neo Shinra – and why Vincent is the way he is…

-Grand Spark, 23 July 2003


	3. Withdrawls

Chapter 3: Withdrawals

Reeve kept his head bowed, sliding his hat forward as he walked quietly through the streets. He tried to stay home as often as possible, but some things called for him to leave the comfort and safety of his small shack. 

He shifted the bag of food in his arms as he continued to walk. He had fled Midgar long ago. Scared of what Shinra would do if they were to find him, he took refuge in the grassy plains just east of Rocket Town. Now, over a year later, he was not only hiding from anyone still associated with Shinra who would deem him a traitor, but also to ordinary people, who might recognize him and deem him an "evil Shinra employee".  He didn't even need a hand to count his friends on. He didn't have any.

In his small shack he was secluded enough to feel reasonably safe, but close enough to a town to get food and supplies. He kept a low profile, and had changed his looks as well as he could. He kept himself scruffy and had let his hair become a shaggy mop on his head. His present clothes were a far cry from the crisp blue suit he had been so used to; most of his pants were ill-fitting and frayed at the bottom, and his shirts were thin, baggy, button down tops. He looked like a poor, small-time farmer, and that worked for him just fine.

But all in all, he wasn't too distraught at his new life. It was a hard switch at first, and it took him a few months to adjust. But he never woke up wide-eyed, realizing he had hit his snooze button far too many times, never had to stay late at an office drawing up plans, never had to file a report…it really wasn't that bad of a life. Just a bit lonely at times.

…

Cloud woke up and looked around the room. He looked at the large sword carefully placed in the corner of his room, the dresser which had an assortment of armlets and armor, the drawer of materia he had locked up tight…

All of the sudden, he sat up in bed and reached around to the cupboards in his headboard. He relaxed visibly when his fingers touched the smooth, round object – the only piece of materia not locked up. He kept this one close to him at all times. 

He lay back down and sighed as he rolled the materia though his fingers. "Help me, Aeris…I'm no leader. Half the time I don't even know who I am."

He waited a bit, as if she would answer. "This hasn't gotten any easier for me. I would give everything I own just to hug you once…"

A knock at the door pulled him from his prayer-like thoughts. He set the materia back down and pulled on a pair of pants as fast as he could. "Just a minute," he muttered as he struggled a bit.

He opened the door to see Tifa. "Cloud? Are you okay? Everyone else is awake and has already finished breakfast."

Cloud scratched his head as he looked at the floor. "Man…what time is it?"

"It's almost ten o'clock," answered Tifa. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

"No…just have a lot on my mind."

"Are you hungry? I'll make you breakfast. Or brunch. Or whatever you feel like." She stared up at him, innocently wide-eyed.

"Nah, I'll be alright until later. I'll be down in a few," he said, closing the door slightly to give her the hint.

She nodded. "Alright, Cloud," she said quietly before she turned to walk back down the hall.

Cloud closed the door and finished getting dressed, finally snapping the Holy material into his armlet as he did everyday.

…

Tifa walked down the hallway, and paused at the top of the stairs. Instead of going down, she went to her room and shut the door. 

She flopped on her bed and hugged her pillow close. She had accepted the fact that would never be anything more to Cloud than a friend, but it bothered her that he was still grieving over Aeris. As much as she missed the flower girl herself, she didn't carry on conversations with her. 

She wanted to talk to someone, if only to lift the nagging thoughts from her chest. Vincent was good too talk to, but she didn't dare put any more weight on his shoulders, she knew he was stressed enough as it was. Nanaki might work. She went downstairs to see if he was busy. 

She found him sprawled next to the fireplace, reading though the journal. She was just about to turn around and leave him alone when he looked up. "Yes?"

"Sorry, Red. I'll catch you when you're not busy."

"Actually, I'm almost done reading," he said as he flipped the book shut with a paw. "What can I help you with?"

All at once, Tifa felt almost embarrassed. "I, uh…you want to go outside with me for a few minutes?"

Red looked a little confused but got up and flowed Tifa though the back door. She sat on the porch swing, and motioned for him to climb up as well. He jumped up, causing the hanging bench to swing wildly for a few seconds.

"Are you alright, Tifa?" asked Red.

"I'm okay, I just really needed to talk to someone," she answered softly.

"I'm all ears," Red answered as he twitched his furry ears a few times. Tifa smiled.

"Do you believe in fate?" she asked suddenly, throwing Red off for a few seconds.

"Hmm…by fate you mean an external force that determines the future?"  
  


"…Yeah."

He took a deep breath as he thought. "There are external forces at work all around us, the lifestream, gravity, the momentum that keeps the planet spinning…sometimes I think it wouldn't be that hard to believe in one more."

"But you don't?"  
  
"Some things happen for a reason, I know that much. Whether or not you want to attribute that to fate, it is still true. But the human will is one of the strongest forces on the planet. I believe even 'fate' would have a hard time controlling the sheer will of someone fiercely determined."

Tifa patted the fur on Red's head. "When Cloud fell after that second reactor bombing…he could have landed anywhere. But he landed in a church and met Aeris. If that hadn't happened, I don't think we'd be here right now…"

Red was slowly catching on. "What did you really want to talk about, Tifa?"

She leaned her head back on the bench and closed her eyes. "I hear Cloud talking to himself all the time. At least I thought he was talking to himself up until a few months ago. He talks to Aeris. As if she's still here. Once I got to know her, I loved her too, but…I moved on. So did everyone else."

"And where does fate play into this?"

She sighed. "I sometimes think fate brought Aeris and Cloud together. And that's fine. I can accept that. But if that's what happened, then why did it take her away? It's like fate just screws him over every chance it gets. I just…I want to see him happy."

Red sat up on his hind legs and looked Tifa straight in the eye. "Forgive me if I say anything too bold," he said. "I know you still have strong feelings for Cloud, and that all you want is to make him happy. But, Tifa, you can't fix everything for him. He'll find his path someday. In the meantime, don't forget that you need to be happy as well."

"Thanks, Red. I appreciate that," she said softly. Red gave her a quick nuzzle under her chin before he hopped off the bench. He didn't like getting too lovey with people, but he swallowed his pride in this instance. 

…

The three Turks walked up the grassy incline, heading towards Niblehiem. Gone were the dark blue suits, replaced with casual attire. Nevertheless, the three were quite a team and still drew attention when they went out together. Those that knew who they were afraid to say anything, while those that didn't were just as afraid. 

"Ah, the Shinra mansion. I remember hearing lots of storied 'bout this place," commented Reno as they got closer. 

No one was quite sure what to say to that, and continued the rest of the trip in silence. 

They reached the house where Avalanche was staying and stopped at the front door. 

"Alright. I'll do the talking, and you two look intimidating," instructed Reno.

Elena sighed and was ready to snap back when she felt Rude tug at her sleeve. He made a sort of 'just let him do it the way he wants to' hand wave in front of him. She sighed and stood quietly as Reno knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, a short, dark head girl opened the door. Her eyes widened as she realized who she was looking at.

"Geez, relax, will ya?" asked Reno. "If you remember, the last time we met, we were on reasonably peaceful terms."

"You guys are trouble any way you cut it." She said curtly as she tired to slam the door shut. Reno caught it with his foot and looked straight into her eyes. "I am not in the mood for playing games."

  
All the commotion caused Vincent, Cid and Barret who were in the main room to get up and inspect the situation.

Barret appeared behind Yuffie, grabbed her by the collar and forcibly moved her aside.

"Hey! I can handle myself-" began Yuffie.

Barret looked hard at her first. "You – be quiet." He turned to the door. "And you - leave."

Reno rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Do none of you listen? We need to talk to you; we don't want any trouble either."

Barret scowled. "Ain't nothing I want to talk to you about."

Reno pulled out his trump card. "Did you guys get the book?"

Barret stopped and shook his head slightly. "I dunno what you talkin' 'bout."

Vincent moved next to Barret. "You sent it?"

"Can we come in now?" asked Reno.

Barret looked at Vincent who nodded.

Cloud was walking down the stairs as they came in. He stopped halfway and stared at the former Shinra employees. "What's going on?" 

Reno looked up at Cloud. "Just thought we'd drop by for old time's sake, Strife."

"They sent the book," said Vincent, just loud enough for Cloud to hear. 

"Let's drop the hostilities, huh? Give me ten minutes with Strife and you'll see we're on the same side as you," said Reno.

Cloud walked down the rest of the stairs and stood directly in front of Reno, looking straight into his eyes. After a moment he nodded slowly. "Alright. Ten minutes," he said.

"Not here. The restaurant at the inn," said Reno.

Reno turned and walked outside towards the inn with Cloud not far behind him. They walked in silence until they got to a table and sat down. Before any serious conversation could start, one of the waitresses came over.

"What ya fella's want?" she asked.

Cloud shook his head, indicating he didn't want anything. 

"Beer," said Reno lazily without even looking away from Cloud's eyes.

Cloud waited until the waitress was gone before he began. "You sent us Gast's journal?"

"Yup."

"…Well?" asked Cloud.

Reno paused as the waitress clunked a glass bottle in front of him. He popped off the cap and took a long drink before he spoke in a low voice.

"Scarlett and Heidegger are still around and attempting to build Neo Shinra. And they have help. A copy of that book I sent you, and Hojo."

"He is alive then," said Cloud.

"Alive and very well. They have quite the team of scientists left over from the destruction of Shinra. No one else would even look at them, so where else did they go? Back to Hojo."

"What are they planning?"

"They want Neo Shinra to have all the power that the old Shinra had and then some. But outside of Neo Shinra, no one is going to want that. They all remember what happened last time."

"What does Gast's journal have to do with this?" asked Cloud.

Reno's voice dropped even lower. "They want a second 'calamity from the sky' – They're reconstructing the coming of Jenova. Only the disease it will carry is man-made, care of the Neo Shinra Biology Department. Who also, very conveniently, happens to be holding the antidote."

"And you…want to stop them?" asked Cloud.

Reno looked away from Cloud and clenched his jaw. A minute later he softened somewhat as he turned back. "How much do you know about Vincent Valentine?" he asked.

"…He was a former Turk sent with Gast, Hojo and Lucrecia to the Shinra Mansion during the Jenova Project. He was in love with Lucrecia, Lucrecia was in love with Hojo, and Hojo used her as his human guinea pig," said Cloud somewhat confused.

"He's still not over it. In fact, to him, everyday it's like those events just took place the day before, huh?"

"What are you getting at?" asked Cloud.

Reno sighed and played with the empty bottle in his hand in an almost nervous fashion. "The Turks were ordered to do things most people couldn't even fathom, Strife. But we did them, without question and without pause. Shinra…went through quite a few Turks before they realized people just can't take that sort of stuff for very long. So then they developed a serum called SL-91, under the direct supervision of Hojo of course. All Turks were given regular shots of that stuff. It - well I'm no scientist here - but it stuck to the emotion section of the brain. It gave Shinra control over our feeling of guilt and regret. It was considered not only one of the biggest achievements, but one of the most closely guarded secrets as well."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Cloud.

Reno looked up at Cloud. "Because, it's why Mr. Valentine is the way he is, and why I want nothing more than to stop Neo Shinra even if it means working with you."

Cloud stared at Reno blankly, shaking his head slightly.

"It's been over a year since any of us have had an injection of SL-91, Strife. I can't explain what that does to you…at night I see things I have done just as clearly as if they were happening at that moment. But I don't get the benefit of having my feelings blocked. I feel everything. And it doesn't fade, and you don't get desensitized. It's just…always there."

"Vincent has been out of the Turks for over thirty years…" said Cloud softly.

"Can't blame him for wanting to shut himself away for so long. Guilt or no guilt, I want my payback. There will never be another Shinra."

…

Rude and Elena stood silently inside the house. Elena shifted from one leg to the other, trying not to think about the uncomfortable situation she was in. Rude scanned the room from behind his dark glasses. Everyone was glaring at the two from the opposite side of the room, except for a little girl sitting in the corner. Seeing that the man's head was turned in her direction, she smiled sweetly and waved. Rude quickly looked away.

Red was the first to speak. "You may sit down if you like," he offered.

"We're okay," said Rude in a monotone voice.

Finally, much to everyone's relief, Cloud and Reno came through the door. Everyone stared at the two, waiting for some answers.   
  
Cloud coughed to clear his throat, noticing the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. "I'd suggest getting a little friendlier here, guys. Looks like we got some work to do…together."

To be continued…

A/N: Thank you so much to Sors and Kitty, my two faithful reviewers! Means a lot to me that people out there are actually reading it. (And liking it!)

So, hopefully this all makes sense…am I moving too fast or too slow? I mean it all makes sense to me, but I don't think I really count. 

Chapter 4, "Reaching Out": What's Shinra up to? And what was Reeve doing in this chapter? And why is Rude always wearing those sunglasses?


	4. Reaching Out

**Recap**: Cloud and the gang are rebuilding Niebelheim. While restoring the library, they come across Professor Gast's old journal, which covers cloning with Jenova cells. They realize Hojo is still alive, and that it was the Turks that sent them the journal in the first place. Scarlet and Hojo are attempting to re-launch Shinra, but before they do that, they intend to wipe out any resistance by way of a second "calamity from the sky." However, they are using a rocket to launch a manmade virus that only they have the cure for. The Turks are willing to do anything to stop them because of the biological altering they underwent as Turks. Without their regimen of shots, the drugs they took to block out painful memories have long since worn off. This is also the cause of Vincent's deep depression and feelings of guilt. Chapter three ended with Cloud and Reno agreeing to work together to put a stop to Neo-Shinra.

……………

Cloud and Reno came through the door. Everyone stared at the two, waiting for some answers.

Cloud coughed to clear his throat, noticing the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. "I'd suggest getting a little friendlier here, guys. Looks like we got some work to do…together."

Barret's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious, Strife!"

Cloud rubbed at his upper arm and turned to Reno. "You want to explain it?"

Reno quickly explained the situation to the group, as Elena and Rude stood by looking very uncomfortable.

Tifa shook her head. "This is awful." She shot a sideways glance at Vincent, wondering if he had been part of the emotional suppression program the Turks went through. "Will we be able to find a cure for you?" she asked Reno.

Reno shook his head. "Probably not."

"But maybe we could find the formula?" asked Yuffie. They all looked at Reno, but it was Vincent who spoke. "Best not to get any hopes up."

There was a long silence, and a lot of uncomfortable shifting. "Well," said Cloud, "We need to come up with a game plan and prioritize our objectives. I say we leave as soon as possible." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Where is Neo Shinra working out of?" asked Cloud.

"Back in Midgar," answered Reno. "Not far from the old building, ironically enough. Or maybe not so ironic." He shrugged.

Cloud paced the room, thinking out loud. "Alright. First things first, we need to get back there and take out this 'Jenova Encore' project. Then we'll deal with Hojo."

"Don't count out Scarlet," warned Elena. "She'll be in charge of security. We may have to deal with her before we can get to the other two."

Cloud nodded. "Okay, three objectives then." He counted off on his hand: "Me, Barett, Tifa, Vincent, Red, Yuffie, Cid, Reno, Rude, and Elena. That's ten of us. We should be able to split up for this. Reno, you, Rude and Elena take care of Scarlet. Vincent, you and Tifa find out all you can about the Jenova project and take it out, if possible. Barret, Red, Cid, Yuffie, and I will take on Hojo. I say we leave tomorrow morning."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement. Reno's eyes were slightly narrowed, not quite used to being ordered around by a former enemy.

Just then, someone knocked harshly at the door. Tifa walked over and opened it slightly. "Reeve!" she exclaimed, as she opened the door wider, allowing him to enter.

"Reeve?" Reno gaped incredulously. He certainly looked nothing like he remembered him: scruffy, long haired, and unshaven – he was a mess.

"What…brings you here, Reeve?" asked Cloud.

"I have something you might be interested in, Cloud," Reeve said in an odd voice. He reached into the pocket of his shabby trousers and pulled out a glowing orb of materia. It was clearly a healing type of materia, but the shade of green was something none of the group had ever seen before. It was glowing with an eerie quality – it was the same as looking at a person with blue eyes, and then looking at someone like Cloud. The brilliance was shocking, and hard to overlook.

"What is that?" Cloud asked Reeve a bit cautiously.

"This is a new materia. It's called Refoveo. Let me show you what it does…" Reeve reached into an equally shabby leather pouch, and pulled out a small field mouse. With quickness that shocked everyone, he gave it a shake by the head, the mouse's neck breaking with a small crack.

"Reeve!" cried Yuffie. She made to stride over to where the heartless animal-abuser was, but Vincent caught her upper arm.

Reeve held the dead mouse in one hand, and the materia in his other. Closing his eyes, the same eerie green filled the room, and the mouse twitched. Once, twice, it opened its eyes, and as Reeve lowered the small animal to the floor, it scampered off.

Cloud gaped uncharacteristically at the demonstration he'd just seen. Possibilities flooded his mind.

"Aeris…" he said softly.

"What? Okay, no." Reno bodily shoved Cloud aside and stood in front of Reeve. "Just what are you doing here? Where did this materia come from? Why did you show up just now?"

"…I-I found it, Reno. I travel a lot. When I came across it by chance, it was so different I had to take it. Once I figured out what it was for, I thought you might be able to put it to better use than I could."

"I don't buy that for a second," Reno spat.

Reeve raised his hands defensively. "Reno…"

"Give me that materia." Cloud ordered in a low voice.

"Strife…don't," warned Reno. "It won't work. And besides, we have other things we need to do first!"

"It will work," Cloud said, in that same, low, still voice. "Reeve…"

Reno stepped in between Reeve and Cloud. "Think about it, Strife! Death is not curable! And isn't it a little fishy Reeve here just _happened_ to wander over here, just now?"

"…It worked, you saw it."

"Strife…" Reno was clearly trying to remain calm. "Shinra worked on this kind of stuff for years. They made it as far as reviving small animals, but they never lived long –"

"It doesn't need to be for long," Cloud murmured.

Reno slapped Cloud hard on the face, a move that made the rest of the group jump and become even more agitated. "I'm trying to put this the nicest way I can, but it's obviously not getting through! Listen to me! I know you want to revive Aeris. It's completely understandable. But you have to realize that the mouse? It just died! Aeris has been dead over two years!"

Cloud stared at him, and Reno could almost feel the hatred aimed at him. "Besides the problem of how to find her body in the first place, she's…she has to be fully decomposed by now. There's no way that would ever work—"

Cloud hit Reno with all the strength he possessed. It sent Reno flying backwards into Reeve, and the two fell to the floor. In a flash, Cloud was on top of Reno, who had Reeve pinned underneath him and clawing at the floor to get away.

"Cloud!" Tifa ran over, and with the help of Vincent was able to pull Cloud off Reno. Rude did the same with Reno, pulling him up and holding an arm out in front of him. Reeve remained huddled on the floor, looking up wide-eyed back and forth between Reno and Cloud.

The two glared at each other, breathing heavily until Cloud wrenched his way from Tifa and Vincent's grasp. He bent over and picked up the new materia, snapping it into an empty slot on his armband. He walked to the door and reached out to grasp the doorknob, and suddenly paused. His back turned to the rest of them and his head bowed looking at the floor, he hesitated. Then without a word, he flung open the door and marched out.

Tifa ran out to the front stoop. "Cloud! Stop, you can't do this!" He made no indication that he had even heard her. Running to him, she grabbed his arm. "Cloud…listen to me. We all care about you. You can't go. Please, please…"

Cloud yanked his arm back and turned to her. His face softened a bit. "Tifa…I'll be back. I promise. But I have to do this. You don't understand…"

"But what about Neo-Shinra, Cloud? We have to do something about it! You can't just leave!"

"…I'm a mercenary, Tifa. I can leave whenever I want." Tifa's pleading face fell into a stony stare. "Are you listening to yourself? Cloud, you can't live in the past! I don't care if…" Cloud cut her off. "Stop it, Tifa. I can't stay."

Tifa was at a loss of what else to say. The two stood in the middle of Nibelheim, the twinkling stars dancing over the mountains just barely visible in the darkening sky. A gentle wind blew through the village, and crickets were beginning to chirp intermittently. It was by all accounts, a beautiful night.

Cloud took a deep breath and squeezed Tifa's hand. "Good-bye, Tifa." And with that, he walked away from her.

……………

Reno paced furiously inside as the others peered out the door, watching the exchange between Tifa and Cloud. Reno hit his palm into his hand with such force he actually winced. "What does that idiot think he's doing?"

Red looked up at Elena and raised his fluffy eyebrows at her. She bit her lip as she watched her boss stomp angrily around the room.

"I thought this would be crazy enough to work, not just crazy. I should have known that Jenova-infected freak wasn't stable enough for something like this!"

"That's enough," warned Vincent, turning from his view of Tifa, who was silently crying on her knees outside. "We still need to do this, with or without Cloud."

"You can do it without us!" snarled Reno. He stormed over to the door and looked at Rude and Elena. "We're going."

"Reno, don't do this. We can't do this alone," said Rude quietly.

"Oh, I don't believe this. Have you been watching what a nuthouse this place is?" cried Reno.

"Reno…he's right," said Elena in a small voice. For a minute, Reno looked as if he were about to blow up. Everyone braced themselves for the imminent explosion, but it never came. Reno swallowed hard, turned and walked off.

The group was falling apart quickly. Tifa remained outside, rubbing at her eyes with her fists. Reeve lay in a heap on the floor, looking frightened by what was going around him. Reno had disappeared from view, and the other two Turks were making jerky movements as if they were about to run after him, then thought better of it. Yuffie was stunned into an uncommon silence, Vincent was staring into the fireplace, looking as if he might be daydreaming about some totally unrelated scenario, and the rest of the group looked back and forth between each other, unsure of what to do.

……………

Update- I re-uploaded this chapter because all the formatting was screwed up. Sorry bout that!

A/N: Ok, I didn't get to Rude's sunglasses in this chapter, but it just didn't fit in. Definitely the next one.

Next chapter: "Visions" Cloud gets his wish, Cid gets an offer he can't refuse, and Reno's just as messed up as he thinks Cloud is.


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